The headwaters of the river rise near Tenterden.

The river flows in a south-westerly direction, crosses the Muir Highway east of Rocky Gully, flows through Mount Roe and Mount Lindesay national parks, crosses the South Coast Highway near Kenton, flows through the Owingup Nature Reserve swampland and finally discharges into the eastern side of Irwin Inlet.

There are two tributaries to the Kent: Styx River and Nile Creek.

He named it after a member of his exploration party John Kent, of the 39th Regiment, Assistant Commissary General at the King George Sound garrison.

This article related to a river in Western Australia is a stub.